Wandering Canuck

A view from the tower of the Anglican Cathedral. Look just above and left of the whit car to see my boat. Moored right in the center of everything. (I am a little smaller than the other ships you can see!)

I spent the day exploring further, with lots of things to see and experience.Some drama along the way. I began, on a glorious blue-sky morning by touring the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral. There is lots of history with this building, thought the current one is very new. Liverpool has a very large Catholic population, mostly from Ireland. In the early part of the 20th century, there was enormous tension and rivalry between Catholics and Protestants, and this was evident in the plans for their respective cathedrals. (both are 20th century). The Anglicans were slow, but building the largest cathedral in Britain. The Catholics decided that hey wanted the largest church outside the Vatican, and commissioned a fellow named Lutyens. They started, and the crypt had made progress, but WW2 intervened, and the costs of the grand design were too much, so an alternative was proposed, and built, sitting on the huge crypt. Meanwhile, the Anglicans had completed their building. Along the way, however, two clerics: the leaders of each congregation, got together, and formed a very close bond that remains. The competition and tension is gone, and there is a great deal of cooperation and collaboration today, including visits of the Queen and Pope, to BOTH cathedrals. Both are spectacular places, and very different.

the largest, heaviest, and highest peal of bells in the world, including the second largest bell in Britain (Great George) in the center of the picture

maneuvering inside the dock area, note the innovative ‘bow-thruster’

reverse view of the docks looking towards the Anglican Cathedral. My boat is just behind the smokestack, in Salthouse Dock

Liverpool Metropolitan RC Cathedral

interior with ethereal blue light from the stained glass

the largest stained glass window in the world floods the interior with coloured light. The open feeling is special.

Liverpool. The festival is just beginning, and two tall ships made the entrance to the docks we are in. The ‘lock’ is an hydraulic drop gate that can only open when the tide is at the right level: no up and down as regular locks. The pictures say it better than I can.

Exterior of Liverpool Cathedral, the largest in Britain

interior of the vast Liverpool Cathedral. Amazing reverb time for music.

Iconic buildings: The Liver Building on the left and the Cunard Building on the right

one ship waiting on the Mersey to enter the dock area where i am moored

a second visiting tall ship in Canning half-tide dock, in front of the excellent Liverpool Museum

Gentle day, but a fair cruise. I started at Grappenhall, and am now on the Leigh branch of the Bridgewater, having turned north at Waters Meeting. This is the outskirts of Manchester city. Went by the Kellog’s corn flakes factory (with attendant odour of roasting corn). The scenery has been alternating between rural with ‘green tunnels’ of overhanging trees, with dark pink rhododendrons in bloom. Very tranquil. The alternate is the back end of many warehouses, light industrial buildings, and old brick factories, including the Linotype factory. The history is intrigueing if you have time to investigate.

I intend to spend the day exploring this fringe of Manchester, with a view to return after Liverpool as I await some of my crew visitors. Then, Sunday towards Wigan so I can set up the visit to Liverpool. I hope all goes well with that: it is getting to be busy season, so who knows about availability. I already know I cannot get onto the Lancaster canal until September… There is so much else to do, that I am not fussed.